Tuesday, March 31, 2009

My one and only baby is 15 today. He is grown so much this past year especially the last 6 months. Not only is he taller than I am he is looking so grown. The hair above his lip is darkening, his voice is changing. He doesn't look like the boy I still see him as.

When you are with your children daily, you don't see the changes as clearly as others. Just suddenly one day you think my goodness you have grown. Sometimes it takes you back a bit when you suddenly realize they grew before your eyes and you didn't even notice. Doesn't make us a bad parent. We just want to harness those special years.

I think ahead to 1 year from now. In a year he will be driving, have a job, maybe a girlfriend. His 10th grade year will be coming to an end in 1 year and the decisions about his future will begin.

His time as my baby is coming to a close. In 3 years he will be a legal adult and ready to make decisions for himself. That day will come with great pride as well as great sadness. We spend 18 years teaching our children how to be the person they will one day become. We hope and pray we did all we could and hope not to look back in regret for what we were not able to do. We hope and pray they will understand why we said no to so many things. One day they will understand.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

CRAFT MATERIALS:

Clean 1-liter soda bottle

Craft knife

2 wooden spoons

small eye screw

Length of twine for hanging

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Start by drawing a 1/2-inch asterisk on the side of a clean 1-liter soda bottle, about 4 inches from the bottom. Rotate the bottle 90 degrees and draw another asterisk 2 inches from the bottom. Draw a 1-inch-wide circle opposite each asterisk, as shown.

2. Use a craft knife to slit the asterisk lines and cut out the circles (a parent's job). Insert a wooden spoon handle first through each hole and then through the opposite asterisk, as shown.

3. Remove the bottle cap and twist a small eye screw into the top of it for hanging.

4. Finally, fill your feeder with birdseed, recap it, and use a length of twine to hang it from a tree.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

I have opened a brand new message board - Liv's WAHM Blog Message Board. Come learn how to build your business and share your experiences. While other message boards for WAHMs are there to socialize and advertise, we are here to teach and network. While we have areas for you to socialize and interact with other WAHMs, our focus is coming together and learning what it takes to become a successful business. Find tips, articles, and support. If you are currently a work at home mother or looking to become a work at home mother, this is the place for you.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Here's a twist on the traditional snow globe: fabric flowers, plastic figures, and a pinch of glitter in a recycled jar celebrate the coming of the warmer season.

CRAFT MATERIALS:

Clean jar with lid

Fabric flowers

Small plastic figures

Hot glue gun

Floral wire (optional)

Glitter and confetti

Teflon tape, also called plumber's tape, found in hardware stores

Scissors

Green paper

Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours

1. Turn the lid upside down. Loosely arrange the flowers and figures on it, periodically placing the jar over the items to check for fit.

2. Use the hot glue gun to adhere the flowers and figures to the lid. To attach the butterfly in our globe, we first hot-glued the figure to one end of a piece of floral wire, then hot-glued the wire's other end to the lid.

3. Fill the jar with water to within a half inch from the top and add the glitter and confetti.

4. Dry the rim of the jar and wrap one layer of Teflon tape around the threads to ensure a leak-proof seal. Immerse the decorations in the jar and tighten the lid.

5. Cut and fringe the green paper to make a decorative base and glue it around the lid.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

As the summer approaches it is time to think about how to stay cool and refreshed. One way is water. While a glass of ice water on a hot day sounds wonderful, it can get boring. I like to add fresh fruit to flavor the water. Slices of strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, citrus, kiwi and strawberry, even grapes are wonderful. My all time favorite is pieces of watermelon leftover from the picnic. Just add as much or as little as you like. Add slices instead of chunks whenever possible. Do this the night before in a large pitcher allowing the flavor to infuse. For a light flavor this can be done with a single glass of water or a pitcher. No need to sweeten as the natural sugars of the fruit will take care of that. Mix different fruits for a variety of flavor combinations. Berries with citrus can be wonderful. Apples and melon can be very refreshing. Kids love it. Add a splash of club soda and you have a fresh and light flavored soda without all the calories and sugar. For a deeper infusion add hot water, not boiling, to approximately 4 cups of sliced fruit per gallon of water. Allow to cool before placing in refrigerator. Experiment on your own and find your perfect blend. Feel free to share with us.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Maple Treats. I found this company last year and been purchasing for awhile. I love these! I especially love the moose heads from Maple Treats.

Click on the banner and take a look at Maple Treats. They have several treats even real maple syrup. This is no imitation. For years that is what I battled. Not with this company. This has the real maple flavor I was seeking. That is because they are made with real maple syrup. Maple Treats is based in Michigan and these treats are made in Michigan. Not a desert town in the southern US.

WAHM Tip of the Week

While free ads are great, they are not always effective. You may spend a lot of valuable time placing free ads, surfing traffic exchanges, or just searching these out. Most times you are just advertising to others who are advertising themselves and not actually going to buy anything. Instead find 5 free places to place an ad and 2 places for paid ad space. Find well placed ad spots where your target audience is actually going to. Leave these ads for 3 months. If they produce nothing, remove your ad and more on. If they are producing results, continue your campaign. In these ads always include some sort of code or promotion so you know what campaign is working and which is not.

Recipe of the week

A new favorite around my home is a Mango Tea Punch. I made it on a whim and it has stuck every since. Give it a try this summer!